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Failing to comply with duty of care risks lives, warns NU

Norwich Union has produced a list of 10 Essential Elements designed to provide companies with a framework to properly manage occupational road risk.

The 10 points that feature in the Essential Elements cover each of the recognised areas of control: Management Policy, Driver Safety, Vehicle Safety and Journey Planning.

Bill Pownall, motor risk manager at Norwich Union, who launched the initiative, commented: "Failure to put into practice the necessary policies and procedures needed can have serious consequences for both the company and the driver. This document is intended as a guide to ease the risk and protect against loss or injury."

Pownall added: "From our 2007 claims data, we are aware of several instances where failing to manage occupational road risk has resulted in serious financial and indeed human cost. For example, a passenger was left paraplegic following a collision when he was travelling in the back of a van equipped without any rear seating"

"In another case, a passenger in an otherwise ‘non fault' collision was killed after being hit on the head by an unsecured tool box left in the rear of the policyholder's van. This was entirely avoidable and clearly actions ought to have been taken to prevent such an incident."